COUNTY NEWS: Residential arson blaze destroys phone cable

James Butler

A phone cable and hedges were destroyed outside people’s homes in a fire that police are treating as arson.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue service was called by several residents of Franklin Road in Durrington, Worthing, yesterday to report a fire outside one of their houses.

The fire in Franklin Road in Durrington. Picture: Jeff Baker

A crew was sent at 5.50pm to tackle the blaze, which was extinguished by 6.15pm. Ten metres of hedgerow was destroyed by the blaze, as well as a BT phone cable nearby, but no injuries were reported by the fire service.

Jeff Baker lives opposite where the fire happened, and took these pictures of the blaze.

The 34-year-old said he was driving along the A27 after a day out with his family when he saw a large plume of smoke coming from the area of their house.

He said that as they pulled into the road, he could see flames above the houses and a neighbour trying to put out the fire with their garden hose.

“At first I was trying to judge where the smoke was coming from,” he said. “I was quite surprised at how close it actually was.”

A Sussex Police spokesman confirmed it was being treated as arson, and that PSCOs were due to speak to residents today.

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